Guides
Solar e-bike guides
Short, practical guides to charging e-bikes, trikes and campers with the sun – batteries, solar panels, MPPT controllers, wiring and range. The complete how-to is in our book.
Charging & wiring
Guide 01 MPPT Charge Controllers Explained: Get the Most Out of Every Solar Panel What an MPPT charge controller does, why it beats PWM and why buck or boost matters when you charge an e-bike, trike… 
Guide 07 3 Ways to Charge an E-Bike Battery with Solar Power The three most common ways to charge an e-bike battery with solar power – direct with an MPPT controller, via a power… 
Guide 08 Boost MPPT Controllers: Charging 36 V and 48 V Batteries from Small Panels Boost MPPT controllers let small 12 V-class solar panels charge 36 V and 48 V e-bike batteries. How they work, when you… 
Guide 12 Series or Parallel? Wiring Solar Panels for Mobile Use Solar panels in series or in parallel on an e-bike, trike, trailer or camper? What changes, how shade affects each option and… 
Guide 13 Cables, Fuses and Connectors for Solar E-Bikes Cables, fuses and connectors for solar e-bikes, trikes and trailers: what matters, the classic mistakes and why good wiring is a safety… 
Guide 20 Portable Power Stations for E-Bike Touring and Camping Portable power stations for e-bike touring and camping: how they work with solar panels, what they are good at, their downsides and… Batteries
Guide 02 Lithium-Ion E-Bike Batteries: How They Work and How to Make Them Last How lithium-ion e-bike batteries work, what wears them out and why solar charging suits them – the essentials in five minutes. 
Guide 03 LiFePO4 vs. Lithium-Ion (NMC): Which Battery for Your Solar Build? LiFePO4 or lithium-ion NMC for a solar e-bike, trike, trailer or camper? Weight, cycle life and safety compared – and which one… 
Guide 09 Wh, Ah and Volts: Understanding Battery Capacity Wh, Ah and volts explained simply: the one formula you need to compare e-bike batteries, and why watt-hours are the number that… 
Guide 10 What a BMS Does: Battery Management Systems Explained What a battery management system (BMS) does in an e-bike, trike or camper battery, why balancing matters and why you should never… 
Guide 18 Safe Charging and Storage of E-Bike Batteries How to charge and store e-bike batteries safely – with solar and at home: temperature, storage charge, warning signs and the habits… Solar panels
Guide 04 Flexible Solar Panels: Pros, Cons and How to Use Them on Bikes Flexible solar panels for e-bikes, trikes and trailers: why they are so popular, where their weak points are and what decides whether… 
Guide 05 Rigid, Flexible or Foldable? Choosing the Right Solar Panel Rigid glass, flexible or foldable solar panel? The three panel types compared for weight, durability and price – and which suits e-bikes,… 
Guide 06 How Many Watts of Solar Do You Need to Charge an E-Bike? How many watts of solar does an e-bike need? The simple formula behind every solar plan, one worked example and the rules… 
Guide 11 Reading a Solar Panel Datasheet: Voc, Vmp, Isc and Imp How to read a solar panel datasheet: what Pmax, Voc, Vmp, Isc and Imp mean, why heat changes everything and why these… 
Guide 16 Partial Shading, Bypass Diodes and Panel Angle Why a little shade costs a lot of solar power, what bypass diodes do and why panel angle matters on e-bikes, trikes… Building & riding
Guide 14 Solar Bike Trailers: Design, Weight and Real-World Tips Solar bike trailers: why a trailer is often the best place for solar panels, single-wheel vs. two-wheel designs and what to think… 
Guide 15 Mounting Solar Panels on a Bike, Cargo Bike or Trike Where to mount solar panels on a bike, cargo bike or trike – rack, roof, trailer or deployable – and the principles… 
Guide 17 How Far Can You Ride on Sunshine? Calculating Solar E-Bike Range How far can you ride on sunshine? The two numbers that decide solar e-bike range, what changes consumption and how seasons change… 
Guide 19 Pedelec Rules in the EU: 25 km/h, 250 W and Solar Add-Ons The basic EU pedelec rules – 250 W, 25 km/h, assistance only while pedalling – and what they mean for solar panels,…